Means and method for maintaining sterilization



N. SHARAF Aug. 8, 1950 MEANS AND METHOD FOR MAINTAINING STERILIZATION Filed Aug. 7, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 5 540/97 1950 N. SHARAF 2,518,081

MEANS AND METHOD FOR MAINTAINING STERILIZATION Filed Aug. 7, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O Q O O O O' O O O O O O G G O O O O O O O O 0 INVENTOR. f fl AOMF Patented Aug. 8, 1950 l re a METHOD FQR'MAINTAINING 'S'TERILIZATION P V Nathan Sharaf, Brookline, Mass. I v I Application August 7, 1945, Serial'No. 609, 4 03 2 Claims- (01. ill-F2) the-method :andtmeans may be applied to silver ware and cutlery used-even in small quantities. It is a comparatively simple matter to wash and sterilize cutlery and silverware such" as spoons, knives and forks after they have been used. Washing and rinsing in water of Sufi ciently high temperature will produce the necessary sterilization satisfactory for almost all purposes. While such'sterilization of silverware and cutlery has generally been practised in restaurants, hotels andat other eating places, very little consideration has been given in, maintainin the cutlery and silverware in a sterilized state to the time it is servedtothe-guests.

In most eating places the washed cutlery and silverware are placed in trays and the waiter'or counterman puts them on the table or on the serving trays in a somewhat haphazard manner,

not-always being careful to handle the utensils bythehandles. In some cases a'neffortis made to handle the cutlery only by the handles and not to touch with the hands or fingers the parts of the cutlery which come in contact with the food or the mouth. However, for the most part such efforts must be conscious efforts and in general no means are employed so that the operator may be assured that the silverware and cutlery remains sterilized up to the time it is ready to be used by the customer.

The purpose of the present invention is to devise a system and provide means whereby the silverware and cutlery under ordinary circumstances will be handled by the Waiters, servers or countermen only by the handles so that the other parts of the knives, forks and spoons will remain free from contamination with bacteria or other foreign substances which may normally be on the hands or fingers of the one who picks up the utensils.

The method used in the present case preferably embraces the proper handling of the utensils when they are being washed. Before being washed, they are placed in a special container with the portion which comes in contact with the food or mouth directed upward at the open end of the container. The containers are held in a washing tray which has at least one empty container along with the other full containers in which the soiled spoons, knives and forks are 2 placed. The spoons, knives and forks are preferably placed in separate containers, 'but "may-"iif desired be mixed or grouped. After the silverware;together with the containers are sterilized, the contents of the full containers are transferred to the sterile emptycontainers, sim ly by dump" ing the eating utensils from the f-ull container to an empty container Without touching the uten sils, which brings the handles of the'utensils at the top of the containers and directed upward. The utensils are served from this position;

The invention will be more fully described in connection with the. drawings illustrating an embodiment of the means and the steps by which the method is practised as illustrated by the drawings, inwhich: s

Figure 1 shows the silverware and cutleryin containers ready-to be served. 1

Figure .2 illustrates the transfer from Ethe Washed position to the serving position of the utensils in containeraand, Eigurei3 showsaunit in which .some silverwarehasalready beentransferred and other units within the washing tray which are about to be transferred. I

In the method and means illustrated in the 3612-. ures, a plurality of containers I, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 8, 9 are employed as well as a washing tray l0 and a container rack I I which may be positioned in any convenient place, as for instance at the edge of the serving counter l2.

The soiled-knives, forks and spoons are placed in the containers with the eating ends up and the containers are placed in the washing tray II] which is provided with one empty container along with the full containers. The tray H) with its contents is washed with a detergent and hot water in a washer, and then rinsed with hot water and sterilized. They are then shaken for quick drying. By keeping the silverware or utensils in an upright position, quick drying is facilitated.

After this the contents of a full container is emptied into an empty container, as illustrated in Figure 2, simply by tilting one of the containers as illustrated by 2, for instance, until the knives, fork or spoons in it slide out into the other container. Since the eating end was up at the top while washing, it will now be at the bottom. The tray need carry only one empty container for sterilization since as one of the full containers is emptied, it may next be used to receive the upturned utensils of another/full container.

The containers may be substantially the same in construction. The container l, for instance as ;a sample of the unit employed, is made preferably of a thin polished metal with numerous holes IS in the cylindrical wall l4 and base Is to permit free circulation for washing, rinsing and drying. The container is open at the top and while a cylindrical shape is preferable, it is not the only shape which may be used.

The container, however, should have such an opening at the top so that when partially filled with knives, forks or spoons,it will not be convenient to put the whole hand into the container to take out a knife, fork or spoon. For this purpose the container need not be made substantially larger than the average hand. In fact it is preferable to have the container of a depth not substantially greater than the length of the utensil for which it is accustomed to be used so that the" hand need not be thrust deeply into the container to remove the utensil. However, the con tainer should be deeper and surround the cutting and eating portions of the utensils.

-The containers, with the handle ends of the utensils up or extending out of the container, are placed in the serving rack ll or they may be stood on the counters or tables ready for use.

Y The means and methods of the present invention insure complete cleanliness of the silverware. and eliminate the uncertainty of possible contamination by human handling.

,-I-Iaving now described my invention, I claim: I 1. A method of insuring sterile handling of cutlery in cleaning and serving which comprises assembling soiled cutlery in perforated straight walled containers having open tops with the ends of the cutlery which come in contact with the food projecting above the open tops and the other ends extending downwards to the bottom of the container, providing an extra one of said containers which is free of cutlery, washing and sterilizing the soiled cutlery in said containers, thereafter dumping the cutlery from any one of the containers to the empty container by turningxthe fullcontainer over until the contents slide into the empty container whereby the ends of the cutlery coming in contact with the food will be at the bottom of the container and the handles will project from the open end thereof and then repeating the operation of dumping from each consembling soiled cutlery sorted in knives, forks and spoons in separate perforated straight walled containers having open tops with the ends of the cutlery which come in contact with the food projecting above the open tops and the other ends extending downwards to the bottom of the container, providing an extra one of said containers which is free of cutlery, washing and sterilizing the soiled cutlery in said. containers, thereafter dumping the cutlery from any one of the containers to the empty container by turning the full container over until the contents slide into theempty container'whereby the ends of the cutlery coming in contact with the food will be at the bottom of the container and the handles will project from the open end thereof and then repeating the operation-of dumping from each container in which the cutlery stands with the ends coming in contact with the food projecting from the top to an emptied container until the containers all have the cutlery with the handles projecting from the open ends whereby when the cutlery is served, it will be grasped by the server at the handle;

, NATHAN SHARAF.

REFERENCES CITED V UNITED STATES PATENTS Number- Name Date 1,968,658 Stoddard July 31, 1934 2,011,869 Pecker Aug. 20, 1935 2,060,468 Mitchell Nov. 10, 1936 2,157,276 Barrie May 9, 1939 

